Squirrels Under Solar Panels - Tesla Solutions?

[Jtt777]

So recently I noticed some build up under one of my panels and went to clean it out and found out it was a squirrel nest. The install is only about 6 months old now but I am worried I will keep on fighting this because the squirrels don't give up.

Anyone else asked Tesla for help with this. I see that some companies install guards around the panels. I need to do this because after i removed their home, I saw at least three wandering around on the roof clueless.

Anyone else have this problem?

 

[zanary]

When I had my Tesla panels installed, I asked for the rodent guard to be installed, so they added it to my purchase price, and wrapped each of the opens underneath each panel with the rodent proof wire/steel mesh.

I don't know if they do it after the fact, but you should contact them and see what they say.

 

[hodad66]

I ordered it here in central Florida & on the day of the install they
didn't have it. They said that they hadn't had any in stock for over
a year. Then they sent a new billing that removed the charge for
the "pest abatement". Obviously they didn't want to be bothered!!

 

[RDoc]

Some friends of ours lost 2 inverters and a bunch of wiring to squirrels, so I'd suggest this not be ignored.

 

[Jtt777]

So Tesla told me $2500 for squirrel proofing!!! WTF! I am getting some more reasonable quotes

 

[Jtt777]

Can someone who has Tesla's critter guard take a picture of how they protection looks? I'd like to get something similar on my own. I see there are a couple different designs out there.

 

[hodad66]

So Tesla told me $2500 for squirrel proofing!!! WTF! I am getting some more reasonable quotes

My cost would have been $650 for a 6.615kw system.

 

[hodad66]

Can someone who has Tesla's critter guard take a picture of how they protection looks? I'd like to get something similar on my own. I see there are a couple different designs out there.

This is the one that I have been looking at...........

SolaTrim Pest Barrier for Solar Panels | Nixalite

 

[hodad66]

I have to update, Tesla just notified me that they are actually coming out to
install my pest abatement!! I had thought that it was a dead issue........

 

[Jtt777]

i got some installed, problem solved

 

[cdhowe]

As an aside, we have SunPower solar panels that our local installer (New England Clean Energy) put up for us in 2013. When they installed them, they noted that they had learned from their hundreds of installs in New England that spacing between the roof and the panels is key to preventing squirrel nesting. Our panels are mounted high away from roof that the squirrels don't find them attractive for nesting (and also to not create ice and snow dams, which can be an issue around here). I'd say that they are between 9 inches and a foot off the roof, which is higher than some other installations I've seen. Here's a photo showing the distance.

We've had the panels up for 5 years, and not had any issues with squirrel nesting (and we have plenty of squirrels -- we hear them running around on the roof regularly). The high spacing seems to do the trick.

 

[RoBoRaT]

Did not have squirrels but a Pigeon couple started to nest under the panels 5 days after install. See picture.

Too high of gap attracted nesting pigeons in my case.

At first my local solar company (not Tesla) installed screen around the perimeter EXCEPT the side with skirt - which left about 5 inch opening from the roof tiles. The pigeons got in from this gap.

I had the solar company install the same screen behind/with the skirt too - No more pigeons or rodents since.

 

[hodad66]

This is what their "finished" job looked like.......

Looks like a squirrel "grand entrance" to me.

 

[StarLog]

They need to come back out and fix that, bad installers.